I’M in an other-worldly hall of mirrors with flickering lights and a haunting, echoing soundtrack. Welcome to Aurora — a stunning art installation, fab selfie spot and one of my favourite places on the cruise ship Celebrity Ascent. And when I say “one of” I’m not exaggerating because I love everything about this new ship.
There is a garden on the sun deck where passengers can sip something sparkling while surrounded by real plants, or have a dip in a pool suspended over the side of the ship. You can cool off in elevated hot tubs , which are designed to stand like martini glass stems and overlook the deck. Or bask on loungers in a solarium reserved for adults.
As the grown-up big sister to Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity ships ooze sophistication. But all this luxury does not have to come at a huge cost. There are sailings this summer in the Mediterranean from just over £100 per night.
As soon as I am on board — an impressively painless process given they have 3,260 passengers to check in — I make a beeline for the Magic Carpet, a platform that “flies” up and down the side of the ship. Today it is next to the pool deck, which means it is a bar with the best views in town. At other times it is an al fresco extension to the Raw on Five fish restaurant, or a sea-level platform from where you can board small boats to go ashore in ports Ascent cannot fit into.
And talking of magic, how about the Retreat, with its private sun deck, pool and bar, restauran.
